2006年VOA标准英语-Abbas Vows to Hold Early Elections Despite Viol

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
18 December 2006

British PM Tony Blair, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, walk past an honor guard before a meeting in Ramallah, 18 Dec 2006

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he is pressing on with plans for early elections, despite a weekend of fierce factional fighting. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, he spoke² after meeting the British prime minister, who visited the West Bank in a show of support.

Mahmoud Abbas said fierce opposition³ from the ruling Islamic militant⁴ group Hamas will not stop early elections.

The Palestinian president, who heads the Fatah faction¹, said elections are the only way to end international sanctions imposed on Hamas because of its refusal to renounce⁵ violence and recognize Israel. He said the economic and security situation has brought suffering on the Palestinian people since Hamas took power nine months ago.

Mr. Abbas was speaking at a joint⁶ news conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who praised his call for early elections.

"We stand ready now, the international community, to do everything we can to give you the strength and purpose to be able to deliver what you wish for your people," said Mr. Blair.

But Hamas is furious over the planned elections, describing it as a coup⁷ d'état. Hamas was elected by a landslide⁸ in January and says it intends to remain in power.

Fierce gun battles between Hamas and Fatah erupted during the weekend, after Mr. Abbas announced that elections would be held three years ahead of schedule. Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad says it is a dangerous situation.

"If we continue like this, we will have civil war," Hamad told Israel Radio.

In a bid to avert⁹ that, Hamas and Fatah agreed to a cease-fire. There have been sporadic¹⁰ gun battles but the situation in Gaza is much calmer than it was.

1 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

8 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

9 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

10 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。